Sister, My Sister
by pokemon fan 98
Summary: Meg and Kristin are best friends just beginning their Pokémon journeys. Everything starts out fine, but what happens when they run into Team Rocket? What would you do to save someone you love? Why is Team Rocket interested in these two girls? Find out as these 'sisters' try to find each other, one taken by Team Rocket, the other left alone to find her way in the world of a trainer.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I've wanted to make a story for Pokémon for a while, so I made my own characters for it. I hope you like it!

"Are you ready, Meg?"

"Yep." Meg said as she came out of the kitchen. Kristin was waiting for her by the door. Her foot was tapping impatiently, and her chestnut-brown hair was put back in a casual ponytail.

Kristin smiled at her friend as she arrived next to her and threw on her coat. "Can you believe that it's finally time to start our journeys?"

Meg just smiled and walked past her out the door. "Let's go. I don't want to be late and have our Pokémon already taken."

The two girls walked the rest of the way to the lab in silence, the realization of the important day finally dawning on them. When they got to the front door, Professor Elm was waiting for them.

"Hi girls." He said. "You're just in time. Right this way." He led them through the door to the back of the lab. A table was set up, and on it were two Pokedex's, two piles of five poke balls each, and three Pokémon. Totodile was on the right, Chikorita in the middle, and Cyndaquil on the left.

"Oh." Kristin gasped as they went to the table. She looked over at Meg nervously, and the girls smiled reassuringly at each other. "They're all so cute!"

Professor Elm looked down at her seriously. "Remember that 'cuteness' is not the reason you choose a Pokémon."

Kristin looked back at him with confidence. "I know. You really want to find one that would make a good partner for you and has a similar personality."

He smiled. "There you go. Now, choose a Pokémon and your journey can truly begin. Who's going first?"

Meg stepped forward. "I am." She looked carefully at the creatures on the table. The Totodile was fidgeting restlessly, and looked a bit intimidating. As she was looking at the Chikorita, the Cyndaquil stepped forward and made a sound.

"It appears that Cyndaquil likes you." Professor Elm said.

Meg held out her arms and picked up the small creature, which sighed and nestled into her arms. "It's perfect." She said quietly. A new note of emotion crept into her voice, which shook as she said, "Thank you." She stepped back, cradling the tiny bundle in her arms as Kristin went up to the table.

Kristin usually walked with an air of confidence, but now moved with light nervousness. She walked right to the Chikorita and held out her hand. It looked into her eyes and blinked a few times. Then it stepped forward and nuzzled her hand, eyes closed. Kristin smiled and picked up the Pokémon. "I'll take this one." She said.

"Perfect. Now this is a Pokedex, which will give you any information you need on Pokémon you may encounter in your travels." He gestured to the small tablet-like devices on the table. "And here are five empty poke balls to use for capturing wild Pokémon. Have fun, girls!"

The girls thanked him and walked out. Kristin put Chikorita on the ground and grabbed Meg in a hug after she did the same with Cyndaquil. "Thank you for going first."

"Always." Meg said as they separated. "Now let's go explore."

_Some time later…_

The meadow was empty when the girls arrived, the flowers in full bloom. Their Pokémon ran behind them, playing with each other. As Meg and Kristin sat down on the grass, their Pokémon ran to the edge of the field, paying close attention to the woods. The reason was made clear a moment later when a Furret came out, followed by a Hoothoot.

"Wow." Meg said. She brought out her Pokedex and listened with a curious smile as it explained what the wild Pokémon were. "I'm going to try to catch that Furret. Do you want to get the other one?"

Kristin shook her head. "No thanks. I'll just watch what you do this time."

"Suit yourself." She stood up and walked towards the group of Pokémon. "Alright Cyndaquil. Use tackle on that Furret!"

The tiny Pokémon ran at the Furret and caught it by surprise. It fell a few feet away. "Good job! Now do it one more time!" Cyndaquil did this, and the wild Pokémon sat up slowly, dazed. Meg grabbed a poke ball and threw it. It blinked a few times, then clicked and was still.

Meg ran to it and picked it up. "That was great!" She turned to look at Cyndaquil and saw the Pokémon right behind her. She picked it up and held it close. "Thank you for that, buddy. We're a real team now."

"That was awesome!" Kristin said as she ran up to her.

"Let's see what my first captured Pokémon is like." Meg released the Furret from the poke ball. The little brown creature was long and furry, with short pointed ears. They were pricked towards Meg as she knelt next to it. "Hi Furret."

The Pokémon looked at her and made a sound of content. Kristin smiled at her friend and touched the top of its head. It closed its eyes and relaxed more.

"I think this is the start of something great." She said to the girl next to her. Meg's crystal blue eyes were shining with wonder and amazement at the two Pokémon in front of her. "We'll make it great."

_Dusk that same day…_

Kristin opened her eyes and was met with the sight of a mostly clear sky streaked with red and orange. She sat up and looked to her right. Meg was still over where she had caught the Furret. Her head was bent over her lap, where she was reading a small book. Furret and Cyndaquil were playing quietly near her. She looked up as Kristin sat up and smiled at her. "Did you have a good nap?"

Kristin laughed and stood up, stretching. "It was definitely relaxing. How long was I asleep?"

Meg put away her book and stood up as well. "It wasn't very long. Probably only about half an hour. I think we might have found the perfect spot to train."

"I think you're right." Kristin said as she walked over to her. "Do you want to set up camp and spend the night here, or should we go home and come back in the morning?"

"I say we spend the night out here. If we don't we'll never know if we're prepared enough to travel greater distances alone."

Kristin nodded. She stared at Meg for a moment, and then released Chikorita from its poke ball. It ran happily to Furret and Cyndaquil and joined their game of tag. "Let's do this. One of the best parts of staying here is that we can practice battling without the pressure of earning gym badges right away. It's the perfect way to settle into our travels."

Meg smiled. "Let's make camp."

_Three days later…_

"Chikorita, use razor leaf!"

"Furret, dodge it and use dig!" The brown Pokémon jumped to avoid the attack, but was hit by one of the leaves. "Furret!"

Meg looked worriedly at it, but was relieved when it stood up a moment later. "Good job Kristin." She called to her friend.

Kristin walked over to Chikorita and rubbed its head. Furret ran back to Meg and she knelt to smooth its fur and check for any injuries. Finding none, she called it back to its poke ball and stood up. Chikorita stopped playing with Kristin and looked towards the road that led back to town. A deep rumbling could be heard from that direction. A few minutes later, a group of men dressed all in black appeared on the crest of the hill. Meg ran over to Kristin. "Let's see if they're friendly." She said.

The men had started walking towards them while they were talking, and reached them before the girls could say any more. "Hand over your Pokémon." One of the group members said.

"Who are you?" Kristin asked.

"We're Team Rocket, kid. Now give us your Pokémon or we'll take them from you."

Meg started to object, but was spoken over by another grunt. "Didn't the boss say that…"the rest of his sentence was mumbled too quietly for the girls to hear.

"Yeah." The leader said. "I think you're right." He smiled cruelly at the girls. "Looks like you two will be coming with us." Suddenly he lunged at them.

"Run!" Meg screamed. The girls turned and fled towards the woods, narrowly avoiding the man's reaching grasp. They stopped after running for about five minutes straight, hiding behind a large tree. The leaves that came with summer were full and thick, offering a nice cover. "Kristin." Meg said. "We might not get out of this."

"But-"

"We don't have time to argue. If they have to catch us, one of us has to be able to get away."

"I understand." Kristin said. "If one of us gets caught, the other has to stay hidden."

"Exactly."

A stampede of steps could be heard approaching, rustling through the foliage. "Remember how you like me to go first?" Meg asked seriously. "I told you I always will. This isn't an exception. If it has to be one of us, you run out after I go and distract them. We'll meet in the next town over."

"What if you can't get away?"

Meg looked into her friend's worried brown eyes. "I will. Don't worry." She hugged Kristin and knelt lower to the ground as the men approached. One of them looked towards their hiding spot and moved closer. Kristin gasped quietly, but not quietly enough. The man smiled and called to the others, "They're over here!"

The girls sprang up. "Go!" Meg said. She ran into the middle of the group and raced away, the group of men chasing after her.

Kristin started to run in the opposite direction when one of the grunts grabbed her wrist. He had stayed behind and hidden to wait for her to move. "Oh!" she said. "Chikorita, use tackle!" the Pokémon ran out from behind her and hit the man, who grunted and released her. "Return." She said. Chikorita was sent back into the poke ball. Then she ran.

The wind whistled through her ears as Meg dashed through the trees. She looked behind her and saw the group only a little bit behind, and sped up. The group gradually thinned out as she kept up the pace. When she couldn't see any more of them, she stopped and clutched a stitch in her chest, completely out of breath.

When she regained her breath, a rough voice said, "Nowhere to run now, kid."

Meg gasped as the leader of the Team Rocket group stepped out from behind her.

"Time to say goodnight. Butterfree, use sleep powder!"

"NO!" Meg cried. A green powder fell on her as the Pokémon flew over her, and she crumpled to the ground. The man bent and scooped her into his arms, her auburn hair spilling over his arm in a wave. Then he started walking back the way he had come, picking up a radio and telling the others, "I've got her. Let's go back to the base."

As he walked to rejoin his teammates, no one could have known that Kristin had just watched the whole thing.


	2. Chapter 2

Kristin stayed hidden for a while after the grunt left with Meg. Her mind was a frenzy of thoughts, including worry for her best friend, anger at Team Rocket, and wonder of what to do next. They hadn't discussed what to do if one of them was caught. Lost in thought, she started walking slowly towards the nearest city, away from the meadow where all this trouble had started. About fifteen minutes later she realized she was lost.

'Great.' She thought. 'I have one Pokémon with me, my best friend just got kidnapped by Team Rocket, and I'm lost in the woods.' She sat down by a clear patch of grass and looked at the poke ball that now contained her only companion. After a second of thought, she released Chikorita, which stood up very straight and looked around for signs of danger. "Don't worry Chikorita. They're gone now. Our only problem is how to escape from this forest."

As if in response to her statement, a wild Pidgey appeared from behind a nearby tree. It jumped when it saw Kristin and Chikorita, and then stepped hesitantly forward. Kristin held out a hand to show it that she meant it no harm, and it came to stand next to her. "Hi little guy." She whispered. The Pidgey stared at her but didn't move. "Can you help me find a way out of this place?"

The Pokémon bobbed its head and made a sound of agreement.

"Great!" Kristin said, standing up with a new bounce in her step. "Lead the way."

The tiny bird Pokémon hopped forward a few steps, and then flew to land on a tree not far off. Kristin followed at a jog as it led her from tree to tree, and the wildlife gradually thinned out. The city was visible in the distance, maybe two miles away. The walk would probably take her half an hour, and the sky was darkening every minute, the moon a beacon in the coming darkness. "Thank you, Pidgey." She said.

She started to walk to the road, but stopped when the Pokémon followed her. She tried another few steps with the same result. As she looked at it, Pidgey flew to her shoulder and nuzzled her neck. "I suppose you want to come with me?" she asked.

Pidgey cooed and tapped at her reaching hand. Kristin grabbed an empty poke ball and touched it to the Pokémon, which didn't struggle. It blinked a few times, and then was still. Pidgey was officially hers.

_About thirty minutes later…_

It was a small city, with a local gym and Pokémon Center and a few homes making up the complete population. By the time Kristin arrived it was pitch black outside, streetlights guiding her towards the Pokémon Center. She was completely exhausted, and planned to spend the night indoors while her Pokémon were healed from any injuries. Pidgey was riding on her shoulder, and Chikorita was in her arms. None of them wanted to be alone right now. Finally she arrived at her destination, and sighed in relief when she found it still open.

"How can I help you?" the Nurse Joy asked from behind the desk.

Kristin went up to it and set Chikorita down on the counter. "Could you heal my Pokémon? We're all really tired, and I was wondering if I could spend the night here."

Nurse Joy looked Kristin over with a mental check for injuries, physically and emotionally. "Are you all right?"

"I'm okay." Kristin said. "It's just…" 'I don't know if my friend is.' She shook her head. "Never mind."

"Alright. Feel free to stay here as long as you need. I'll bring your Pokémon out when they're feeling good as new."

"Thank you." Kristin put Pidgey on the counter too, then turned and went to the couch. She passed the time waiting for them to come back by setting up a bed for herself and eating a small snack.

"Excuse me?"

Kristin turned and looked at the source of the sound. It was a boy with blond hair stuck up all over, and a pale, smiling face. His bright blue eyes were calm and sincere. "I was just wondering if you wanted to sleep in an actual room. There's an empty one right next to mine."

"Thanks." She said. She turned and started packing everything up. The boy came over and started to help. "My name's Kristin."

He smiled. "Alex. Nice to meet you. Are you just starting your journey?"

Kristin nodded. "I only left home with my best friend less than a week ago. What about you?"

Alex looked at her seriously. "I'm just beginning too. I don't even have a badge yet." He fingered the poke balls on his belt. "Want to see my Pokémon?"

Kristin smiled. "Sure."

He picked up the poke ball and pressed the center. A Totodile appeared, and was joined a moment later by a Sandshrew and a Bellsprout. The Pokémon stood in a line as Kristin knelt and looked at them. "Wow." She said. "They're really cool. I have a Chikorita and Pidgey, but they're being healed right now. I can show you when they come out."

"I can't wait to see them." Alex said. They carried her stuff into a small room down the hallway and set it up there. Nurse Joy came in and gave Kristin her Pokémon back, and then it was just the two of them. "Well, goodnight."

"Night." Kristin said.

Alex stopped by the door. "Didn't you say you were traveling with your friend? Where is she?"

Kristin looked at the floor. "We got separated. I have to find a way to meet her again, but I don't know where she is."

"I'll help if you want me to. It's always easier to travel in groups."

She hesitated. "Alright. As long as you're sure, it could be a lot of fun."

Alex smiled and turned back towards the door. "Then I'll see you in the morning."

Kristin looked at the closed door and sighed. "I guess I will." She said, the hint of a smile on her lips.

It was a while before sleep settled over Kristin that night, but when it came it was bearing no bad dreams, allowing for a healthy restoration from the stress of that day's events. The next morning she sat up slowly, looking at her Pokémon. She had left them out of their poke balls for the night, and they had slept next to her. After she washed up and got dressed, she returned them and put the poke balls on her belt, ready to go. Alex was waiting for her in the area just inside the Pokémon Center, looking thoughtful as he stared outside.

"Hi Alex." She said as she walked up to him.

He looked up in surprise. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

Kristin smiled. "Yes, thanks. The bed was a lot comfier than the couch would have been." She looked around. "Are we waiting for anything?"

Alex shook his head. "No, I just wanted to make sure we were all set. Let's go outside and walk around the city until we figure out what to do. That way we can stock up on supplies and maybe find a map."

"That sounds good." They left the Pokémon Center and started off to the right, in the direction of the local gym. "I suppose you'll want to know the whole story about what happened if you're really going to help me."

He smiled at her. "It could help, but you don't have to if you don't want to."

Kristin took a slow breath. "I do. We were walking camping in a meadow not far from Cherrygrove City, where we're from, and Meg and I were battling when a group of men came over to us. They said they were called Team Rocket, and that they wanted to take our Pokémon." She paused to see Alex's reaction. His face was impassive as she continued. "Then one of them said something that changed their leader's mind, and they chased us into the forest, trying to take us back to their base with them. Meg went out of our hiding spot first so I could get away, and they took her with them. I watched the whole thing." She finished and looked down for a moment.

Alex spoke softly. "I'm so sorry, Kristin." She looked at him and saw him smiling lightly. "But don't worry. We'll find her in no time. I have an idea of where to start."


	3. Chapter 3

Meg opened her eyes and sat up to look around. She was in a room with pale colored walls and a door on one side. There were two windows on the wall next to her, and she was on a small bed with a table and a lamp next to it. Soft morning light was pouring through the windows, gently illuminating the room. She stood up and stretched, walking over to the window. Outside, a group of Team Rocket grunts was practicing Pokémon battles. Hurriedly, Meg checked her belt for her Pokémon. She found them instantly, sighing with relief. Then she went to the door and stepped out, somewhat surprised to find it unlocked.

A man dressed in the Team Rocket uniform stood up when she appeared. "Come with me." He said. Meg followed him down the hallway and outside. He stopped next to a woman. She had short blond hair and looked down at Meg with open curiosity, her eyes trusting but guarded. "This is Katrina. She'll be looking after you." He started to walk away, then looked over his shoulder and said, "And if you try to escape, we'll take your Pokémon away from you. As if you could get away anyway." He walked away laughing softly.

"Alright, let's get going." Katrina said to Meg. "One way or another, we're going to make you the perfect Team Rocket agent. Hopefully you'll choose the easier path. What's your name?"

"My name's Meg. What exactly do you do?" she asked. "Besides torment kids and steal Pokémon, I mean." She added sarcastically.

"Very funny, kid. Our boss wants to make a better world, and sometimes we have to take the Pokémon of people who get in the way. Now come on."

She led Meg over to one of the fields for practice battles and stood on the far side of an empty one. "Show me what you can do. We'll use one Pokémon at a time, with substitutions."

Meg stood in her square and looked at Katrina. "I only have two Pokémon, though."

Katrina smiled. "Then we'll just use two for now. I'll find out how to get you more Pokémon soon." She picked up a poke ball and threw it. "Go, Raticate!"

"Go Furret!" Meg said as she released it. Furret looked back at her and waited for a command. 'I hope this works out.' She thought. "Jump and use scratch."

Katrina said nothing as Furret approached her Raticate. As it came down from the jump, she said, "Raticate, use hyper fang!"

All Meg had time to do was gasp before the move hit Furret. It fainted right after. "Return." She said. "Good job buddy."

"Alright." She said to Katrina. "Let's finish this. Go, Cyndaquil!"

The tiny Pokémon shook and made a sound of delight as it saw Meg, the flames on its back springing to life. "Cyndaquil, use ember!"

The Raticate jumped to dodge the attack, and Meg said, "Now use tackle!" Cyndaquil was quick to obey, and Raticate went to the ground. "Finish it with ember." The move was completed, and Raticate fainted.

Meg smiled and called Cyndaquil to her. It came running and she hugged it close.

"That'll do for now." Katrina said. "We'll call it a draw. You're not too bad at battling Meg. Let's go find you a new Pokémon for your team."

_A little while later…_

"Where are we going to find wild Pokémon?" Meg asked. She was walking slightly behind Katrina away from the battling area. Her Pokémon had just been healed.

Katrina looked back at her and slowed her pace. "For right now I'm taking you to the edge of the training facility. There are a lot of Pokémon there. I'll take you to even better places when I know I can trust you." She paused for a moment and studied Meg. "Why haven't you put up a fight yet?"

Meg looked back at her evenly. "Who says I want to leave?" She was surprised to find that while she did desperately want to leave, it wasn't that bad being here. Katrina seemed nice enough, and she was allowed to keep her Pokémon with her at all times. "It's not so bad here."

Katrina nodded. "It's actually a lot better than it seems. I've only been a member of Team Rocket for about a year, and I adjusted really quickly."

"Why did you join in the first place?"

"Well…" She hesitated for a moment, and then continued. "I stood up against them in a battle, and they stole my Pokémon. They said I could only have them back if I joined Team Rocket, and kind of forced me to come back here with them. Then I went through the same thing you're going through now, only I fought every step of the way. It took a little bit, but… eventually they found a way to make me stop fighting. I don't remember exactly what happened." She looked away from Meg and started walking again. "Enough about me. Let's go find you some Pokémon."

A few minutes later they arrived at a small pond at the edge of the woods. "This is the spot." Katrina said. "The rest is up to you. I'll wait for you over here."

"Thanks." Meg said. She walked over to the pond and looked over the area. It was pretty peaceful, with a gentle breeze making ripples in the water, and plenty of Pokémon were visible just below the surface. A group of Poliwag were standing at the edge of the water, and two Poliwhirl were in the middle.

"Perfect." Meg grabbed a poke ball from her belt and threw it up. "Go Furret!" she said. Her Pokémon appeared in front of her, and the group of Poliwag dispersed, leaving the two Poliwhirl on the bank. One of them stepped forward and stared at Furret. "Furret, use fury swipes." The Pokémon obliged, and the move struck its target, making it stagger slightly. Then the Poliwhirl used water gun, sending Furret back a few feet. "Keep going! Use fury swipes one more time." Furret jumped to attack again and was met by another blast of water. It pushed through it and finished the move, knocking the Poliwhirl to the ground.

"Good job Furret!" Meg threw a poke ball at the stunned Pokémon and watched as it wobbled and blinked. Both gradually slowed, and then it was still. "Yes!" She cried. She ran to her Furret and ruffled its fur before returning it to its poke ball. Then she picked up the one containing Poliwhirl and walked back to Katrina.

The woman looked at her with respect as Meg showed her the poke ball. "Nice catch. Those Poliwhirl are the toughest water-types in this area. It'll be a good addition to your team." She started leading Meg back the way they had come. "Now that we've practiced with Pokémon, you need to start your training as a member of Team Rocket. The first thing I'm going to teach you is-."

She stopped and looked ahead, her face betraying a small amount of fear. A man was standing there, one who Meg recognized. It was the man who had brought her here. He walked up to them and looked at Katrina with a slightly angry expression. "Why did you bring her here?"

Katrina was slightly taken aback. "I, um, thought she could use more Pokémon for her team, sir."

He ignored her and grabbed Meg by the wrist. "Come on. We're late for your appointment."

"What appointment?" Katrina asked.

The man laughed. "One that you know very well. It's time for the girl's induction."

The man led Megan and Katrina back to the base building in silence, letting them stay together behind him. Meg looked at Katrina for reassurance, but saw the other girl staring ahead blankly.

"We're here." He said.

They had stopped in front of the building and saw another man waiting there. He looked to the leader and raised a questioning eyebrow. The leader nodded slightly. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave, Katrina." He said.

Katrina looked at Meg and smiled slightly to offer her encouragement. "It'll be alright. I'll wait for you in the battling area."

Meg watched her walk away in silence, dreading what she was about to do. "Now," The man who had led them back to the building said, "the only reason I'm doing this so soon is because we're low on recruits at the moment. You'll still have to earn my trust, which takes time. Are you ready to start?"

"As ready as I'm going to be." Meg replied. She straightened up and tried to look confident.

"Do you swear to act as a loyal and devoted member of Team Rocket, obeying your superiors and taking charge of situations when necessary, no matter what the result?"

Meg stared him directly in the eyes as she nodded. "I do." 'And I'm going to take charge of my situation as soon as I figure out how to escape, and how to bring Katrina with me.' She thought.

The man who hadn't said anything yet spoke up. "I'll verify that this was done willingly and in public for the boss if need be."

"Thank you, Sherman." The other man said. He looked at Meg again. "You're now an official member of Team Rocket. A uniform will be waiting for you on your bed tonight. Katrina is your instructor, and she'll teach you everything you need to know." He moved his gaze towards the battling area. "If she's ready." These words were spoken so softly Meg barely heard them, and didn't know if she was meant to. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, go see her. We can't have you wasting all day with Pokémon."

Meg walked over to the training area and found Katrina waiting for her at the edge of an obstacle course. Katrina smiled. "How did it go?"

"I'm an official member of Team Rocket." Meg said. "That was the fastest induction I've ever seen. All I had to do was say 'I do.'"

Katrina laughed. "We're not really known for our speeches. But since that's over with, I can start really training you. We train in Pokémon battling every day, as well as physical fitness. I find the obstacle course the easiest for that part. It's also a lot of fun. Want to give it a try?"

Meg smiled and nodded, looking at Katrina carefully. She was a little taller than Meg, which wasn't saying much considering Meg's average height. She looked about five or six years older, too. "Thanks for being so nice, Katrina." She said just before going into the course. "You've made this whole thing a lot easier. You gave me a friend."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update! I've been busy with school, but here's chapter 4! Hope you like it!

"Are you sure they won't mind seeing us?"

Alex stopped in front of the door to the building. It was old, with vines growing through cracks in the wall, throwing a splash of color against the cream foundation. "I grew up hearing legends from the elders every weekend. They have to have heard something about Team Rocket."

Kristin looked surprised. "You grew up here?"

"Yeah." He looked up towards the sky. "My parents live on the other side of town, not far from here." He smiled and looked back at Kristin. "We should go in. Are you ready?"

She gave a small nod and stepped forward. "Let's go."

Alex opened the door and walked inside. The door opened into a large room with lights attached to the wall at intervals and a section of benches on one side. In front of the benches was a slightly raised platform, and on the side of the room across from the benches was a circle of cushions. Four people sat on these cushions, talking. All had some marker of age, be it an unsteady hand or a voice that spoke with wisdom learned through experience, and didn't notice when Kristin and Alex entered the room.

Kristin cleared her throat. "Excuse me?"

The elders turned to look at her. One, a woman with a kind, generous face, stood and looked at Alex. "It's been only a short time since I saw you last. I heard you had left to start your Pokémon journey two weeks ago. Why are you back so soon?"

He looked her straight in the eyes, his face showing no one true emotion. "I meant no disrespect by leaving without saying goodbye, grandma. I didn't know if I could go through with it if I saw you that day."

She nodded. "Just don't do that again, understand?" she said with a smile.

Alex smiled back and went to stand next to her, Kristin following a few steps behind. "Who do we have here, Alex?" she said as she hugged him.

"This is Kristin. I ran into her in the Pokémon Center, and she needs my help."

Kristin explained their situation. The woman listened with complete attention, occasionally looking at her peers. When she was done, Kristin said, "If you know anything about Team Rocket that could help us find my friend, please tell us. I have to find her." Her voice broke slightly.

The woman laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Just give me a moment to speak with my peers." She moved over to them and they conferred for a very short time. Then she sat back down on her cushion and waved them over. "Come sit with us. We may be able to answer your questions."

The two obeyed, sitting across from the four elders. One of the men began to speak:

"In years past, many knew the devious work of Team Rocket. They were an organization of ruthless men and women bent on capturing legendary Pokémon, stealing more common ones from trainers who got in their way. One stood against them, battling through their ranks and eventually defeating even their leader. After this loss, the leader claimed that there was no hope for what he wanted to achieve here in Johto, so he moved his men to a different region. That was the last we heard of them for years."

The elder to the right of him spoke next. "From the time of their disappearance there have been rumors that Team Rocket never left this region, instead going into hiding to regroup or make their reappearance more unforeseeable. Recently, people have begun to whisper about them again, and several sightings have been reported. Most of these are pure fantasies, but one element remains the same in most all of them: the location."

Kristin and Alex looked at each other encouragingly. Their eyes locked for a moment and seemed to say: This is it. This is what we came for.

Alex's grandmother looked at them for a moment before speaking. "I want you two to promise me that you'll capture and train a strong team of Pokémon before going after your friend. It's too dangerous to go without them. I would like to help you further, but I can't move too far out of the city these days. Do you promise you'll do what I asked?"

The children looked at each other. "As long as it doesn't take too long, I'm fine with that." Kristin said.

Alex nodded. "That works for me too."

She smiled. "Perfect. Now, the location of all the sightings is a few hours traveling from here by foot, most likely half of one day. If you're able to take a car the trip should only take two or three hours. Team Rocket is rumored to have taken up residency in an abandoned town hidden in the hills. Police have investigated the area, but found no evidence of life; though the search was widely broadcast before. This is all we know of Team Rocket. I hope you find it useful to you."

Kristin stood up and grabbed her bag from the floor. Alex did the same. He went and gave his grandmother a final hug before saying thank you and leading Kristin back outside. The sun had risen higher into the sky in the short time they were inside, and the morning was warm with a pleasant breeze.

"What do you want to do?" Kristin asked.

Alex said nothing as he fingered two poke balls on his belt. "Are you up for the challenge?"

She smirked and ran a few feet away. "Always." She said. Both chose one of the poke balls from their groups and threw them up in the air.

"Let the battle begin." Alex said as the Pokémon appeared on the field. On his side of the field stood Bellsprout, and on Kristin's was Pidgey.

Kristin brought out her Pokedex and looked up Pidgey's moves. A moment later she grinned and put it away. "This is my first battle with Pidgey." She called to Alex. "Don't go easy on us!"

He responded by calling an attack. "Bellsprout, use Growth!" The plant Pokémon expanded vertically, shrinking down to slightly taller than it had been before.

"Pidgey, use Quick Attack!" It moved rapidly to the other side of the field, weaving in to strike the Bellsprout. It cried out softly as the move landed, stumbling back a step.

"Bellsprout, Vine Whip!" Long tendrils shot out and struck Pidgey, repeatedly striking.

Pidgey backed up a step with every attack, but the tendrils elongated and followed it. Kristin bit her lip with worry. "Pidgey, use Gust!" The bird Pokémon chirped in response and flew into the air, beating its wings against the air to send the high force wind toward the opponent. The tendrils shot back against the wind and Bellsprout rolled backwards, unable to withstand the force. After the move stopped, Pidgey flew to the ground, looking back at Kristin. Bellsprout lay on the ground, unable to rise.

"Return." Alex said. His Pokémon was absorbed by the red light and sent back into its poke ball. "Great job." He grabbed a second poke ball from his belt and threw it up. "Go Sandshrew!" His second Pokémon appeared on the field, claws looking sharp and eyes scanning the area, finally locking in on Pidgey. "Are you sticking with Pidgey?" he called to Kristin.

She nodded. "We started out strong, so we'll finish that way. Let's go! Pidgey use Quick Attack!" The tiny bird ran towards the Sandshrew, weaving in and out to confuse the opponent.

"Not this time!" Alex said with a grin. "Sandshrew, use Sand-Attack!" The Pokémon kicked up a flurry of sand in all directions. Pidgey stopped a few feet away and closed its eyes, unable to see in the dust. "Now use Rollout." It tucked itself into a ball and began moving towards Pidgey, picking up speed as it circled around it a few times, striking as it did.

"Pidgey, get out of there!" Kristin cried. Her Pokémon was visible to her only barely, but she could see it being hit. "Use Gust to clear the air!" Pidgey obeyed and flapped its wings, gaining more power with each stroke, all the while being struck by Sandshrew's Rollout. With a huge final flap, the dust cleared and Pidgey opened its eyes. Just as it turned its head, Sandshrew landed another hit to its back. Pidgey cried out and fell to the ground, eyes narrowed. As Sandshrew went around for another attack, Kristin gasped and looked anxiously at her Pokémon. The moment before the impact, Pidgey straightened up and spread its wings, eyes open wide. The move landed, but Pidgey remained standing, absorbing the shock. Sandshrew stopped and stared at it, obviously confused. Pidgey looked up and a white light surrounded it. Kristin watched in amazement as her Pokémon grew taller and larger, wings expanding gradually. The feathers on the top of its head grew longer as well, and after a moment the light disappeared.

"Pidgeott!" The Pokémon cried.

Kristin had a huge smile on her face when she cried out, "Pidgey, you evolved!" The larger bird Pokémon looked at her and nodded its head, flying up into the air.

"Let's finish this. Pidgeotto, use Gust!" Pidgeotto responded immediately, flapping its wings heavily. Sandshrew didn't have time to react before it was buffeted by the blast; it was so shocked by the evolution in the middle of the battle. Alex was lost too, watching with his mouth open. Sandshrew tumbled over and stopped rolling a few feet back. "Now use Quick Attack!" The move was completed, and Sandshrew was sent to the ground, too weak to rise.

Alex lowered his head slightly. "Return." He said, calling back his Pokémon. He started walking over to Kristin as she moved towards Pidgeotto. Her Pokémon turned to look at her and flew into her arms, nuzzling her neck like it had when they first met.

"Thank you, Pidgeotto." Kristin whispered as she stroked it. "Thank you for everything."


	5. Chapter 5

Meg gasped and ducked just as the foam log flew by, missing her by inches. She straightened up and looked behind her. The log was swinging gently on its chain, slowing down.

She could still see Katrina outside the course. "I told you it was fun!" she called to Meg. "It starts right away. Tread carefully!"

Meg nodded and stepped forward, more cautiously this time. The course ahead of her wasn't too big, but if every turn had surprises like the entrance did, it would take her a little while to complete it. When she had entered, she had to pass through walls with an arching doorway. The log had been released from support towers placed at intervals along the edges of the course. More were visible hanging there, waiting to be released if she stepped in the wrong place. There was a climbing wall in the distance, and before that were stepping tires and… a dirt pit. 'Oh, great,' She thought. 'Just what I need right now.'

She looked around her feet for any sensors to set off traps, and not seeing any, walked forward until she reached the stepping tires. They looked simple enough, set up in the standard format of two next to each other, with twelve total in the line.

'This looks simple enough.' She thought. She backed up a few steps and jogged up to the tires. Not stopping, she jumped shortly and landed in the holes of the first two tires, shifting her weight instantly upon landing and hopping into the next tires. When she reached the end she stumbled and almost lost her balance. 'Maybe not as easy as it looks.' She took a deep breath and pushed her hair back. Katrina had given her a ponytail before she entered. She took it off her wrist and put her hair up, walking towards the next obstacle.

The dirt pit looked surprisingly like the tires had: ridiculously simple. This made Meg study it even harder for signs of a trap. It was a long stretch of dusty land with a rope hanging in the middle from the support beams around it. Meg narrowed her eyes and looked more closely at the sand itself. In a certain spot it seemed to bulge… 'I'm overthinking this.' She thought, shaking her head. Still, she studied it for another minute before running into the pit.

She ran in towards the right for about five feet before zigzagging to the left. As she started going right again the sand in front of her shifted. She slowed down and continued down the middle, reaching the rope with no problem. She grabbed it with one hand and looked back. The spot she had been studying had definitely been worth looking at. A clear screen had popped up from under the sand, and Meg rubbed her cheek thoughtfully as she imagined running into it. 'I'm not taking any chances.' She thought right before she leaped. 'If the rope is here, something must be wrong with the patch in the middle. Here goes!' She held the rope and took a running start, leaping with all her might.

It was a short jump, but the wind felt great as Meg glided over the middle of the dirt patch. She released the rope close to the ground and prepared to hit the ground, knees bent. She landed as she intended to, feet firmly planted and one hand out to steady herself. 'Something doesn't feel right.' She stood up and found that she had to forcefully pull her hand to get it out of the sand. "Oh, really!" she said aloud. "Where do these people come up with this?" She tensed her muscles and attempted to free her feet, which luckily weren't as deeply embedded as her hand had been, since her weight had been spread between them. 'The rope was a test.' She thought after stepping back onto the grass. 'It makes you think the middle is what you should avoid, when it's really the end.' Meg smiled to herself. 'That's actually kind of clever.'

She walked a few feet forward to the base of the final obstacle: the climbing tower. It loomed over Meg and cast a small shadow to the side. The sun was high in the sky now, and Meg thought she must have been in the course for at least half an hour. The tower was about ten feet high, the wall rising with a gentle slope. Handholds were placed all over, but some were barely large enough for more than one finger to hold on to. 'This has to be all there is to it.' She thought. 'No other traps or deceptions.'

Meg took a deep breath and started to climb. She stopped after lifting herself entirely off the ground and looked for the best path to the top. Finding one, she followed it, not looking down. She hoisted herself onto the top platform with a sigh, breathing heavily. 'I did it.' She thought. 'Going down is the easy part.'

She climbed down quickly and easily, but only after sitting at the top for a few moments, lost in sudden thought. The other side of the tower held a view much like that of its opposite. The only difference was that instead of obstacles, this side had another arch opening to the outside of the training course.

Meg walked out confidently, seeing Katrina waiting for her just past the exit. Her instructor smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up, bouncing on her feet. "Good job, Meg!" she said when she was close enough, giving her a hug.

"Thanks." Meg said after they separated. "It was harder than I thought it would be. But you were right about one thing. It's a lot of fun once you get the hang of it."

Katrina nodded once. "I thought you would like it. Come on," she said, walking back around the course. "It's time for dinner."

She led Meg to the building next to the one she had found her room in. It opened into a large room, set up like a school cafeteria. There was a long table of food near the far end, and a lot of rectangular tables. Most of them were occupied by people just eating and talking with their friends, more relaxed than Meg would have expected them to be. In one corner Pokémon were eating their own food, and there were some trainers standing around them, checking for injuries that needed medicine.

"This is pretty nice." She said after looking around.

Katrina nodded. "Let's get some food. I'm starving."

_Later that night…_

"I'm in the room next door if you need anything." Katrina said before leading Meg back to her room. "Good night." She closed the door and Meg went into her own room. She turned on the light and found a Team Rocket uniform on her bed, as the leader had said there would be. There was also a set of softer pants and a shirt. 'Those must be my pajamas.' She thought. She quickly changed into them, realizing as she did how physically drained she felt.

After she had changed, she looked around the room again. It didn't look that different in the dark than it had in the morning, besides feeling less inviting. She looked at the bedside table and saw a small, handheld mirror there. She grabbed it and looked at herself.

Her auburn hair was a mess. She hadn't brushed it earlier. Looking in the drawer of the table she found one and quickly remedied that. Her face looked healthy after the day's events, and blue eyes stared back at her brightly. 'It really isn't that bad here.' She thought.

She climbed into the bed and got under the covers, sighing. She grabbed her poke balls and released all of her Pokémon. They had been fed and healed during dinner, and now they looked at her with questioning eyes. Cyndaquil slowly walked up to her and curled up by her side. Furret took up the same position by her feet. Poliwhirl continued to look at her, its eyes narrowed slightly.

"I know you don't trust me yet." She said softly. "But I promise that I trust you, and I hope we can be friends."

Poliwhirl watched her for another moment, and then nodded its head once. It went to the foot of her bed and stretched out there, facing away from Meg.

She smiled. Poliwhirl would have to see that trust before really opening up, but at least it seemed to interact well with her other Pokémon. She reached down and stoked Furret's fur before lying down and reaching over to turn off the light. "Night, guys."

Meg turned onto her side and looked out the window, thinking. The base was a pretty good size, but she still had no idea how to move through it, and no clue as to where she was. 'I know what I want to do to escape. Or at least I have an idea. But I guess I'll have to wait a little while.' The moon was a small crescent tonight, and it gently illuminated the training area outside Meg's window enough that she could see the outline of the obstacle course. 'I can't rush this. It has to work on the first try or they'll never leave me alone again.'

She shifted a little bit and closed her eyes. 'It's only been one day.' She thought before falling asleep. 'This is definitely something that needs time if it's going to work. Especially if Katrina needs to be convinced to come with me.' She heard the sound of Cyndaquil's deep breathing next to her, and let her body bring her into sleep.

Outside her room, a man stood by the door, listening. It was the man who had brought Meg here and made her an official member of Team Rocket. He smirked after she finished talking to her Pokémon. 'She's tougher than I thought. Handling it well. Still…' he thought. He listened for more sound, and, not hearing anything but deep breathing, moved away from the door. 'I don't want to resort to using it again, but I will if I have to. Katrina had it done, and that seemed to turn out well… either way, be careful, kid. I'll be watching.' He looked back at her door once and then walked down to his own room. No one saw him leave, and five minutes later his door closed, and all of the hallways were silent.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I hope you guys are enjoying this so far! Here's the next chapter!

Kristin closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The day was warm and clear, and there was a nice breeze as she walked along the streets of the town. She had looked at a map after her battle with Alex, and apparently they were in Violet City. The first gym in the Johto League was here, and that's where she and Alex were headed now.

It had been two days since that first battle where Pidgey had evolved into Pidgeotto, and the friends had been training non-stop since then.

Alex saw her smiling slightly as they walked. "I almost beat you that last time, you know." He said.

She played the battle back in her mind. They had each lost one Pokémon, Pidgeotto and Sandshrew, and his Totodile was against her Chikorita. His Pokémon was stronger in terms of training, but she had the type advantage. It had been very close, but she had used his Water Gun to carry Razor Leaf back to Totodile. "You're right, Alex. You did almost win."

He pushed his blond hair out of his eyes. "Let's see. I believe that makes us even now, Kristin. Both of us have won two battles."

"The real test is right in front of us." Kristin said. They stopped and inspected the building. It was large, and had a plaque by the door. It read: Falkner. The Elegant Master of Flying Pokémon.

Alex whistled. "I guess we should-"

Kristin stepped forward and opened the door. "Go in?" He smirked and nodded. "Then let's go." She said. There was barely any furniture in the room. The center of the room held a battling arena that extended to the point of almost the entire floor, but there was a section on each side with benches for people to watch the battles.

"Hello!" A voice bellowed.

Kristin and Alex jumped. A man stepped out from a back door and smiled at them encouragingly. "I'm Falkner."

He was exactly as Alex had described, though Alex had never seen him. His father had told him about Falkner. The man had medium length blue-tinted hair. His eyes were calmly observant, taking in every detail about the two standing in his gym. 'No wonder he likes flying Pokémon.' Kristin thought. 'He's just like one!'

"Don't be shy! Come on in!"

Alex walked up to him, Kristin right next to him. "I'm Alex." He said. He extended his hand.

Falkner shook it. "And you are?" he asked Kristin, an eyebrow raised.

"Kristin. Nice to meet you."

"Well, Kristin and Alex, what can I do for you? I presume you would like a battle?"

Alex nodded. "Yes, please. We have to get stronger as quickly as possible."

Falkner grinned. "This is a good place to start. Who's going first?"

Kristin blinked slowly and thought of Meg. 'I guess I'll go first this time, Meg.' She looked at Alex and saw him looking at her with concern. "If you don't mind, I'd like to go first."

He stepped back. "Of course. I'll be right here." He smiled and went to sit on a bench on the right side of the gym.

The gym leader nodded and looked at her for a moment, and then started walking back the way he had come. "Good. That's settled. Unfortunately, we can't battle yet."

Kristin opened her mouth in confusion before asking, "Why not?"

He looked over his shoulder. "You're not ready. You should have at least three or four Pokémon before challenging me." He stopped and turned around, his expression turning softer. "Look. I know you just want to get stronger. But I just don't think you're ready yet. Prove me wrong by coming back tomorrow morning if you want. If not, I'll see you in a couple days. Good luck!"

With that he walked through the door in the back of the gym, leaving Kristin and Alex alone in the building. Kristin stood still for a moment, her lip trembling a little, then turned and ran out the main door.

"Kristin, wait!" Alex called to her.

She didn't stop until she was a good distance from the gym. Alex caught up with her and turned her to face him. She hastily wiped a tear from her face, not looking at him.

"Everything's still going to work out." He said softly. Now she looked him in the eyes. He stared back at her calmly, and she realized that he was supporting her to stand, gently but firmly gripping her arms. "I think he's right. We're not ready. Not yet. But we will be."

She nodded and sniffed. "I didn't mean to get upset like that. I'm just worried about Meg. If we keep our promise to your grandmother, it could be a few weeks before we can try to find her."

"I know." Alex said. "But do you honestly think rushing will help?"

Kristin shook her head gently. "No. I know it wouldn't. I just can't believe something like this could happen. Our parents made us wait until we were both thirteen before starting our Pokémon journeys. To be safe." She laughed bitterly. "Look where that got us. I know," she said seriously, seeing Alex about to retort. "It was better to do that, and more and more kids are starting their journeys later since Team Rocket was big in Johto. It was stupid to let that get to me and get upset over not being able to challenge the gym leader."

Alex searched her face for any traces of remaining sadness, and let her go when he saw none. "We've still got a lot of daylight left. Do you want to battle?"

Kristin smiled for real. "Yeah. It's about time I end our tie. With my victory!"

He smirked and narrowed his eyes. "You're on, Kristin. May the best trainer win." She looked at him and silently thanked him. "And I plan on doing just that."

"Alex!"

He laughed and moved away as she went to playfully hit him. "There's the girl I've come to know. In the past four days, I mean." He led her back to their usual battling spot and grabbed a poke ball. "We'll figure this out." He said as he threw it onto the field.

_Some time later…_

"I told you the best trainer would win." Alex said.

"And I did." Kristin replied. "Your Totodile is really strong."

Alex walked over to her from his side of the makeshift field. "What would you say to looking for another addition to your team?"

She widened her eyes excitedly. "That sounds great!"

"I studied a little before leaving to start my journey. If you want an advantage over Falkner, you'll need an electric type."

Kristin's eyebrows came together in a scowl. "How do we find electric types in the forest?"

Alex smiled. "We'll find some. Whether or not they're in the forest isn't important." He said. "There's a place at the edge of the city where people raise Pokémon of all types. Sometimes they leave them there for stronger trainers."

"That'll be our second option." Kristin said.

"I was hoping you would say that. People say there's a strong electric type in the middle of the forest on the way to Cherrygrove. A trainer abandoned it, and it's been there since."

Kristin smiled back at him. "It won't be in the forest for long. I'm going to catch it."

He put his hand on her shoulder for a second. "I'm glad you're feeling better." It lasted only a second, and he drew his hand away and started walking into the forest. "We'll have to explore a little bit. I don't know how to navigate this forest."

She grabbed a poke ball from her belt and threw it up. Pidgeotto appeared in front of her, spreading its wings and cooing. "Pidgeotto helped me find my way here. It might be able to show us where the electric type is." She directed her attention to Pidgeotto. "Can you help us find a Pokémon? It should be somewhere near the middle of the forest, and is supposed to be really-." She stopped because her Pokémon squawked in alarm and shook its head. It did this for a moment, and then jumped up and tapped its poke ball, sending itself back into it.

"Well that was weird." Alex said.

Kristin looked at the poke ball in her hand and sighed. "I guess we'll be exploring then." She said, putting it away and adjusting the bag on her back. She looked at him expectantly. "Do you want to lead?"

"Sure."

He led her into the forest, following a sandy, well-worn path. The trees around them were tall and thick, and the leaves were full, letting in just enough light to see the ground a few feet ahead of them. It was still bright, but the sun had started sinking in the sky. "How long do you think we have until it gets dark?" she asked.

Alex stopped and looked up before resuming walking. "Plenty of time. It's only around five."

They kept walking for a while. Eventually, Kristin stopped and looked around, confused. "Haven't we been here before?"

He searched all around them for anything familiar. "I think we have." His voice sounded defeated. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to keep looking."

He nodded. "I thought you would. I do too. But I want to backtrack a little bit. Stay here." He said as he turned and walked the direction they had originally tried to go. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

She watched him disappear into the trees. "Please be careful." She took off her backpack and sat down on the ground, listening. Her eyes closed and she felt around her, trying to hear Alex.

Kristin let her mind wander after a minute or two and became aware of others around her. She could tell that some Pokémon were gathered near this area, and smiled when she heard some calling to each other. Then she felt a sharp pain and gasped, her eyes snapping open.

She stood and looked at her body and tried to find any source for it, and found herself completely unharmed. She was about to call it off as a silly mind trick, when she felt it again. It was stronger this time, and she stood against it, staggering slightly. 'What is this?' Kristin thought as the feeling started to lessen. She shook her head and took a deep breath. It took a moment for her to realize that she was walking away from the spot Alex had told her to wait in. She stopped and looked back. The spot was still visible, but only just. She faced forwards and continued walking in the direction she had begun to. 'There's a reason I started this way. Ungh!' she felt the pain again, but just gritted her teeth and kept walking. 'I'm going to find out what it is.'

After a few minutes, with the pain only returning once more, Kristin found herself in an area with fewer trees, more like a meadow. She stopped and looked around. A low whimper was heard, and she looked in the direction she had heard it from.

"Oh no!" She ran to the far end of the clearing and looked up. A large net dangled from a tree above her, and in the net was… a Pokémon. It looked at her with large eyes and cried out. Kristin gasped as it did so, overwhelmed by the pain she felt. 'That's what it was!' she thought as she recovered. 'You made me feel that!' It was too dark to make out anything but the Pokémon's basic shape, but it looked fairly large, unable to move much in the net that trapped it.

She looked at the net more closely. It was tied to a high branch, but dangled freely for a few inches between the branch and the trap part. "Chikorita, go!" she cried.

The small green Pokémon appeared in front of her and waited for instructions. "Use razor leaf to cut down that net, but wait until I tell you to." It nodded. "Help me gather a big pile of leaves." They ran all over the clearing and collected some, placing them under the net.

Kristin looked up at the trapped Pokémon and waited for it to meet her eyes. "I'm going to get you down." She called to it. "If you trust me, I can catch you. The leaves will be softer than the other ground, but you have to let me help you."

It stared at her, and then nodded once, closing its eyes. "Chikorita, razor leaf!"

Her Pokémon obeyed, and the net was released. Kristin braced herself and held her arms out to catch the Pokémon. It was heavier than she expected, and she dropped to the ground, the Pokémon still secure in her arms. She let it land on top of her, and was shocked when it knocked the breath out of her. She gently rolled it off of her and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. She could feel the Pokémon doing the same next to her. Any traces of pain she had felt were replaced by an extreme peace, and she sighed with satisfaction.

The Pokémon turned its head to face her. It had the same basic anatomy of a human, with two legs and two arms, and had black zigzagging stripes in its yellow fur. It looked at her with curious eyes, and Kristin noticed that it had two yellow antennae on its head. She gave it a soft smile, and it returned one. She brought out her Pokedex and listened as it explained the Pokémon's name and characteristics.

"So you're Electabuzz." It nodded. She sat up and brushed off her arms. "I'm Kristin." Chikorita walked over, and she returned it to its poke ball. "How did you make me feel your pain?"

Electabuzz stared at her blankly. "You did, didn't you?" It shook its head.

She leaned over and started looking for any wounds it had. Like with herself, she found none. 'I felt your emotional distress like physical pain. How is that possible?'

"You must have been very lonely. I hope you weren't trapped for long."

It shook its head gently and sat up, its strength returning. "I'm glad you're safe now. But I was wondering… would you like to be a part of my team?"

Electabuzz blinked and stared at her, studying her carefully. Kristin could feel its curiosity and thankfulness fighting against a natural distrust. They studied each other for a little bit, and then it smiled at her.

"I hope that means you will." Electabuzz nodded and stood, offering Kristin its hand to get up.

"I'll get you to a nice, warm place as soon as I can. Do you want to travel in the poke ball?"

It made a growl of encouragement. "Okay. Here." She held out the empty one and let the Pokémon send itself into it, smiling when it stopped blinking.

She walked back to the meeting place slowly, thinking. 'I think this is something I have to keep to myself for a while. I don't know why I'm able to do it, and I don't want to make Alex worry about me more than he already does.'

"Alex!" she started to run, realizing that she had been gone for a while. She found him pacing in that area, head down. When he saw her he ran and grabbed her in a hug.

"Where were you?" he asked after letting her go. "I got back and you were gone, but your stuff was still here. I thought something bad had happened!"

Kristin's eyes softened at his concern. "I'm sorry. I thought I heard something, and I found the Pokémon."

Alex looked at her in surprise. She continued, describing everything that had happened, except for the pain that had led her to Electabuzz. He calmed down as she told him, and his eyes were shining by the time she finished. "You're so amazing." He said.

Kristin smiled and started walking back to Violet City with him, biting her lip. 'Amazing, or a freak?' she thought. 'Why could I feel a Pokémon's emotions like they were my own? Is there something wrong with me?'


End file.
